Tuesday, March 31, 2009

Hello there! Happy Tuesday! Today I have MFTeasers with two of the four sets being released tomorrow my My Favorite Things. All of the new sets are SO cute -- I know you'll love 'em! :)

First is a flower pick made with the set Flopsey's Flowers (click on the photo for a closer view). I had picked up these mini roses at the grocery, and I thought it would be fun to turn them into a thank you gift -- perfect for a teacher or other special person! To make the pick, I sandwiched a bamboo skewer between two scalloped ovals, then I layered more ovals on top. I stamped, colored, and cut out Flopsey and mounted him on dimensionals. I stamped, colored and cut out a second set of flowers and mounted them over the first, and I added some shimmer to the flowers with Marigold Shimmerz. To finish it off, I punched two holes on the bottom and tied the ribbon through.

This card was made with the set Cuddle Up Carter. It’s MFT's newest charity set, with $2.00 from every set sold over the next six months going to benefit kids with Cerebral Palsy (like Carole’s son, Carter) via the non-profit Euro-Peds clinic in Pontiac, Michigan.

This is a fun set to paper piece, and I did plenty of it here! I colored the rest of the image with Copics, and I sponged around the image with So Saffron ink. I backed the button with a 1" cardstock circle.

My Favorite Things is having a New Release Cocktail Party tomorrow, Wednesday, April 1st from 9-10 PM EASTERN. This month there are 4 new sets being released! The fun begins at midnight with the MFT Blog Hop! Head over to the MFT forum HERE to find out all the details and to find out how YOU can be the next MFT Guest Designer. We hope to see you there tomorrow night!

I paper pieced the robe and slippers with this great Bloom and Grow paper by My Mind's Eye. For my two punches, I used a border punch next to the image and a corner rounder punch on the sentiment. I machine stitched around the background paper.

There's a lot going on this week at My Favorite Things! Wednesday is Release Day, so the day will start with a Blog Hop at midnight, then the Release Cocktail Party will be Wednesday night from 9-10 pm. Tomorrow I'll have a MFTeaser for you! Also tomorrow, on the MFT Forum at SCS, the MFT Idol Top Eight will upload their projects for this week -- you can vote for your favorites starting at 10 pm!

Sunday, March 29, 2009

It's been a busy few days, and I haven't stamped anything since Wednesday (gasp!), but I wanted to be sure to post a Sunday Supper recipe. My mom just shared this with me today -- it's from a local charity cookbook, but she and Dad made some adjustments to it and really liked the result. So, here it is -- thanks, Mom! :)

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Oil lightly a shallow baking dish large enough to hold the fillets in one layer. In a bowl, stir together the oil, thyme, tomatoes, olives (or capers), red pepper flakes, garlic, onion, and lime juice. In the oiled baking dish, arrange the fillets, skin side down; season with salt, and spoon the tomato mixture over them. Bake the fish uncovered in the middle of the oven 15 to 20 minutes, or until it just flakes.

Thanks for stopping by today! Tomorrow I'll have the Who's That Girl Challenge for you, and then I'll have an MFTeaser or two before the release on Wednesday!

Now, I need to get downstairs for some much-needed stamping time! :)

Have a great day -- spend some family time around the supper table!Christina

Thursday, March 26, 2009

Hello there! Happy Thursday! Here is my card for this week's SCS Color Challenge. I recently received some new SU! goodies, so I thought I'd do an SU! Only card. This is a beautiful set -- I don't know why I waited so long to order it!

I stamped the bird in Baja Breeze, rock-n-rolled it in Kiwi Kiss, cut it out, and mounted it on dimensionals. I sponged the edges of the image panel in Pretty in Pink ink. Everything else is pretty straightforward!

That's all for today! I'll be watching my Xavier Musketeers in the Sweet Sixteen of the NCAA tourney tonight, so I have a few things to get finished before then! Thanks so much for visiting today! :)

Wednesday, March 25, 2009

Happy Wednesday, everyone! For today's ATS DT Challenge, Lesa challenged us to use white on everything but the focal image. I honestly thought I was going to have a difficult time with this one, but I actually came up with a card that I *love*!! I used an image and sentiment from AmyR Stamps, and the rest just fell together!

Quick Tip: When making white cards, you can't rely on color to make your design interesting, so give your card interest in other ways -- using texture, dimension, layers and punches.

If you'd like to play along with the challenge, use keyword ATSDTC42 when uploading. Upload your design to the ATS Challenge Gallery so all of us can see it! :) Also, be sure to stop by the ATS Blog today to see more Design Team projects. I can't wait to see what they came up with!

One more thing -- don't forget to vote for your favorite project(s) in the MFT Idol Contest! The top nine are trying to make it to the next round! Voting can be done HERE -- you have until 1o pm tonight (Wednesday) to choose! :)

Monday, March 23, 2009

Happy Monday! Now that it's officially spring, this week's MFT Who's That Girl Challenge is a spring-y one! The challenge is to use the set Mother's Day and the colors yellow, pink and green. Of course, if you don't have that set, just pull out any MFT set and get it inky! We just want you to play along! :)

For my card, I paper pieced the dress and colored the rest of the image with Copics. The pot and flowers are cut out and popped up on dimensionals.

We're expecting some beautiful spring weather this week, so this card just puts me in the mood! I hope it gets you thinking about spring, too! :)

Sunday, March 22, 2009

Happy Sunday, everyone! Since it's NCAA Tournament time, and my Xavier Musketeers have made it into the second round, our Sunday Supper today will probably be more like Sunday Snacks in front of the TV! I thought I'd share one of my favorite appetizers, perfect for parties or game time! It a recipe from The Pampered Chef.

Friday, March 20, 2009

Good Friday afternoon, everyone! I am VERY glad it's Friday! It's been a long week -- Chris and all three of my girls have been sick all week, and today's the first day that they've all been gone! Chris just went back to work today! I'm spending the day getting my house cleaned up and put back together, but I do want to share a couple of projects with you! :)

This first project took me minutes to make. I think it took me longer to photograph and edit it than to actually put it together! I used the C.C. Designs set Gingersnaps Spring Thing. I'm calling it my *Ewe Tube* -- I crack myself up! Seriously, though, isn't this lamb just the cutest? I colored it with Copics, then applied some white Fun Flock to his wool. I heat embossed the sentiment so it would stand out more against the dp. I purchased the Round Container at All That Scraps. I think this would be a great little gift for Easter or for a new baby!

Stop by the ATS Blog to see some more DT samples with this adorable set!

Today is the 20th, so that means it's Celebrate MFT Day! It's just a great reason each month to get out those MFT sets and get 'em inky! I used the set Let's Go for a Walk, and I also used the My Favorite Things colors -- pink, black, and white. I colored with Copics and sponged around the edge of the image with Pretty in Pink ink.

These projects are bright and springy, and they make me happy after a week of coughing, sore throats, and fevers! I'm definitely looking forward to the weekend -- I hope you have something fun planned for your weekend, too! Thanks so much for stopping by today!

Thursday, March 19, 2009

This week's ATS DT Challengeis to use lots of ribbon on your project. I used several colors of dotted organdy ribbon, even putting a bow in Gingersnap's hair! I machine stitched around the yellow dp and I added some Stickles to the butterfly. Gingersnap and the butterfly are cut out and popped up on dimensionals.

Head over to the ATS Blog to see what the DT came up with for this challenge! If you'd like to play along, use keyword ATSDTC41 and upload to the ATS Wednesday Challenge Gallery. You can find all the DT Challenges HERE -- do any one at any time!

Wednesday, March 18, 2009

Hey there! It's time for another MFT Release Hop, and you've come to my stop! We're showcasing the new sets by new illustrator Sara Williams. She has created two fun and funky floral sets for My Favorite Things! If you haven't seen all the fun so far, hop on back to Kim's Blog and catch up! I'll be here when you're finished! ;)

For my sample, I used Sara's set called Funky Flowers. I kept the card pretty simple, with fun patterns and colors. The layout is Cindy's MFT Sketch for tomorrow (I couldn't help using it a little bit early!). I was thrilled that this set pairs so well with the Bloom Dots Cuttlebug folder and also with my beloved Girl Friday paper! The vase and flowers are popped up on dimensionals. The flowers behind the image and sentiment are also from Funky Flowers, but the sentiment itself is from the MFT set Essential Sentiments.

I hope you enjoyed your visit here -- now hop over to see what Candice Lighty has to show you! It's sure to be something fabulous! :)

Monday, March 16, 2009

Hey there! Happy Monday to you! For today's MFT Who's That Girl Challenge, the featured set is Let's Go for a Walk. The additional challenge is to add sparkle -- glitter, Stickles, bling, whatever! If you don't have the featured set, no problem! Just pull out any of your MFT stamps and get 'em inky! :)

I have to say, I had a lot of fun making this card! I pulled the colors from this great Sweet Celebrations paper by Bella Blvd. For my sparkle, I used Stickles on the dress, adhesive rhinestones on the bottom scallops, and a Doodlebug Braddie through the Prima flower.

We'd love for you to play along! Use keyword MFTWTG26 and upload to the Splitcoaststampers gallery. Upload by midnight Wednesday for a chance to win a $5 gift certificate to My Favorite Things!

I hope your week is off to a good start! Thanks for taking the time to visit today!

Sunday, March 15, 2009

Happy Sunday, everyone! Today All That Scrapsis releasing a new set of Paper Pleasing Digi Images by Julie Buhler. They are beautiful Easter images! For my sample, I printed the daffodil image and sentiment, then I colored with Prismacolor pencils. I sponged around the image and sentiment with So Saffron ink. I did some machine stitching and added some ribbon and Dew Drops.

Now, I'll admit I was a little hesitant to use the digi images at first. I am and always will be a girl who loves stamps and ink. :) But, it is nice that you can change the size of the digi images in order to vary your designs. If you go to the ATS Blog, you can see that Julie's sample and mine have the same images, but Julie's sentiment is larger. I decided to print mine smaller so I could use my oval punches. I also could have printed it larger to have it be the inside sentiment or a large focal image. Pretty cool, huh?

Here are a couple of tips I've discovered for working with the digi images:

1) The cardstock I use when printing digi images is Georgia Pacific white cardstock, purchased at Walmart. SU! Whisper White is too smooth, and the ink will smear when the image is colored.

2) You don't need fancy photo editing software in order to use the images. I have an HP printer, so I just opened my files with the HP photo managing program. After choosing to print, I then decided which paper size I wanted. For the daffodil image, I chose the Wallet size (9 to a page), but only printed one image per sheet. For the sentiment, I chose the Contact Sheet (33 to a page), again printing only one image. To print larger images, I could have chosen the 3x5, 4x6 or larger -- you get the idea.

Give the digi images a try -- you just might find that you really like them! :)

Thanks so much for stopping by today! I'll be back tomorrow with the MFT Who's That Girl Challenge!

Friday, March 13, 2009

Hello! Happy Friday! Here is a gift bucket I made for my friend Linda's birthday. Her birthday was yesterday, and she doesn't have this gift yet -- I'm dropping it off today. So, if you're reading this, Linda -- don't look any further!! ;) I used a clear pail from Stampendous, and I filled it with tea, cookies, and a gift card.

The outside was fun to decorate! I used Cosmo Cricket Girl Friday paper, and I cut strips to fit around the bottom. I used the reverse side to cut the circle for the top and to paper piece the cake on the main image. I cut more strips from SU! Rose Red cardstock and used my EK Success Candles border punch. I placed the candles at the bottom of the pail, then I covered that strip with SU! Old Olive grosgrain ribbon.

For my focal image and the top sentiment, I used the MFT set You Take the Cake. I colored with Copics and paper pieced the cake. I added Star Dust Stickles to the candles and Liquid Applique to the cake icing. I cut the top circles with Nestabilities.

I tied ribbons on the handle and attached the image panel to the pail with dimensionals. I think it turned out kinda cute! :)

I can't believe another week has come and gone! We have a busy weekend ahead -- our church Fish Fry is tonight, then tomorrow we have two lacrosse matches and a birthday party! I hope you have a great weekend planned -- hopefully you've planned some stamping time! :) Thanks for stopping by today!

Thursday, March 12, 2009

Happy Thursday! Here's the card I made for my nephew Ford's birthday. He just turned 2, and he's a HUGE Thomas the Tank Engine fan!! I had purchased these stamps several months ago because I knew I wanted to use them when his birthday came! I kept the card pretty simple -- it is for a 2-year-old boy, you know! :)

I embossed the Going Gray background with the D'vine Swirls folder, because I thought it looked like steam! I colored with Copics and pierced around the image panel. To make the trio of stars, I first embossed Summer Sun cardstock with the Spots & Dots folder, then I punched out the stars with a SU! punch. The striped paper is from the retired SU! Prints Pack. The ribbon was on a Christmas gift -- of course I saved it for a project! ;)

That's all for today! I have a couple challenges I'd like to work on and some new stamps to ink up, so I'm off to see what I can do! Thanks so much for the visit today!

Wednesday, March 11, 2009

Happy Wednesday! In honor of St. Patrick's Day, today's ATS Challengeis to use Green on your project. Honestly, I thought this would be an easy one for me, but the more I tried to get started, the more stumped I became. I think it's because I wanted to use a St. Patrick's kind of green, and that left me with Glorious Green, one of my most unfavorite colors. But, I was determined to press on. Then I spied this Scenic Route Surprise dp in my stash, and it saved me! :)

For this first project, I used the Cookie Crumbs set Cupcake Occasions. I stamped the cupcake once on white cardstock, once on the dp, and one more time on scrap white cardstock. I paper pieced the cupcake bottom. I colored the cupcake top with Prismacolor pencils, cut it out, and mounted it on dimensionals. I added some Green Stickles to the shamrock. I created the sentiment on my computer and cut it out with a Spellbinders Tag Trio die. The ribbon is from Michaels.

Okay, it was getting late when I finished the card, but I still had the supplies out, so I decided to make another project. I was apparently a little slap-happy at this point, because I totally cracked myself up with this one! :)

The image is from Amy's Boutiqueby AmyR Stamps, and the sentiment was again printed from the computer. It's a good thing Chris likes Guinness, because this project wouldn't pack the same punch on a non-Irish beer! ;)

Wanna play along with our Green Challenge? Use keyword ATSDTC40 when uploading. Upload to the ATS Challenge Gallery so all of us can see it! :) All of the DT Challenges can be found HERE -- play along with any challenge at any time!

Tuesday, March 10, 2009

Happy Tuesday! I have a fun card to share today -- I inked up one of my Bellas! I *love* my Stampingbella images, and I've collected quite a few of them, but I don't get to play with them nearly enough! I had so much fun with this card -- mostly because of this great Sketch for You to Try from Jen del Muro.

The first time I saw this Offbeat paper, I knew I wanted to pair it up with Veggiebella. The card just took off from there! I colored with Copics and paper pieced her overalls, and I had some fun with the details and embellishments!

Here's a closeup...

I stamped the sentiment on vellum so it wouldn't completely cover the bottom of the image. I used dimensional foam circles to attach the vellum over the image panel, then I placed Dew Drops on the sides so the dimensionals wouldn't show through the vellum!

That's all for today -- I'm so glad you stopped by! I'll be back tomorrow with the ATS Challenge, so I hope you'll be back to check it out! :)

Monday, March 9, 2009

Happy Monday, everyone! Today's MFT Who's That Girl Challenge is to use the set Who's That E-girl along with paper piecing. Of course, if you don't have Who's That E-girl, any MFT set is fine! :)

Last week I picked up this Wild Raspberry paper by K&Company. The entire pack is gorgeous and so springy, so it was the perfect collection to use for this challenge. I paper pieced the sofa and her skirt, and I colored the rest of the image with Copics. I masked the frame of the image and sponged inside the frame and around the image with So Saffron ink. It has become my favorite way to add color around the WTG images!

I used my new EK Success punch on the side panels. I HAD to pick it up (plus two more punches) at Michaels last week -- they were 30% off! Really, it's Dawn's fault -- she's been using this punch on her projects lately, and I fell in love! Thanks, Dawn! ;)

I hope you can play along with the challenge! Thanks so much for stopping by today!

Sunday, March 8, 2009

Happy Sunday! We have had the most wonderful spring weather for a couple days now (it's not going to last long, though), so Chris is ready for some grilling! He really loves to grill, and he considers himself a Bobby Flay wannabe. *lol* We're planning on firing up the grill this evening after Kyle's soccer practice.

Here's one of my favorite recipes for the grill. It's from the book A Man, A Can, A Grill by David Joachim -- one of Chris's go-to grilling books (besides Bobby's books, of course!). If you've never had pizza on the grill, this is a great recipe to try! It's quick and delicious!

Fire up your grill to medium-low. In a medium bowl, microwave the butter until melted. Stir in the chicken and hot sauce. Unroll the dough and cut it in half. Coat two pieces of foil with cooking spray and put dough on each. Press dough into 8" circles. Coat with more spray. Invert onto the grill and peel off the foil. Grill for 1 to 2 minutes, or until just brown on bottom. Invert onto a cutting board. Spread blue cheese and buffalo chicken on each. Scatter 1/2 of the cheese on each. put the pizzas back onto the grill. Close the lid and top vents. Grill for 3 to 5 minutes, or until the cheese is melted and the crusts are brown. Cut each into 4 slices.

Thanks for stopping by today! I hope you have a fantastic day, and don't forget to spend some time around the supper table! :)

Saturday, March 7, 2009

Happy Saturday, everyone! I hope you have a fun weekend planned! It feels like spring here -- temps near 70 today!! :) I just had to throw open a couple windows and breathe in the air! It's amazing how a little bit o' spring is good for the soul! :)

Here's my card for this week's SCS Ways to Use It Challenge -- making ATCs. An ATC, or Artist Trading Card, is a smaller card, 3.5" x 2.5", that can be signed and traded. They're great resources for ideas, but they can easily be placed on a standard-sized card or a tag! The layout is this week's MFT Sketch Challenge.

I used the just-released MFT set Hooga Booga for my ATC. The little monster image was just perfect for the card size and the sketch! I used the MFT Summer 6x6 Paper Pack and paper pieced her costume. The sentiment actually reads "Do you need a hug?", but I inked up just part of it, since I was working with a smaller card.

*Quick Tip* Ink up only part of a sentiment or image to give your stamps more versatility!

This image and this card just make me smile! I hope you like them, too! :)

Thank you so much for the visit today! I'm so glad you stopped by! Enjoy a little spring if you can! :)

Friday, March 6, 2009

Happy Friday, everyone! I have two challenge cards to share with you today.

The first card is the one I made for this week's SCS Sketch Challenge. It was a fun sketch to work with, and I built the card around this BasicGrey Ambrosia paper. I have never been a big fan of orange, but this paper has made me a convert! I used the Verve Stamps set Fluttering By for the image and sentiment. I stamped the butterfly once on the image panel and again on a separate piece of dp. I heat embossed the second butterfly, cut it out, and mounted it over the first. I embellished with Dew Drops, black organdy ribbon, and piercing. The background paper was embossed with my Cuttlebug and Swiss Dots embossing folder.

My second card is for this week's SCS Color Challenge. This photo is really icky (that's my favorite technical term) -- I don't know what was wrong with my camera! I think this card is so much prettier IRL! Oh well...

The layout is Jen del Muro's Sketch for You to Try. Angel with Bunnyand the sentiment are from American Art Stamp. I colored with Prismacolor Pencils and OMS, pulling the colors from the BasicGrey Sultry paper. I added Star Dust Stickles to the angel's wings. The background was embossed with the Cuttlebug and Birds & Swirls embossing folder. I embellished with ribbon and Prima Caboodles. I am in love with these flowers -- I've been using them on everything!! They are hydrangea flowers with the leaves attached. They come in many color combinations, and they are fun to work with!

Thanks for taking a look at my challenge cards! Thanks, also, for visiting today! I DO appreciate it so much! :)

Thursday, March 5, 2009

Happy Thursday, everyone! Wow, it has certainly been a busy stamping week so far! The fun continues today with this week's ATS DT Challenge. Lesa challenged us to use dry embossing on our projects. My Cuttlebug is my best friend, so this challenge was right up my alley! :)

The image and sentiment on this card are from the just-released set Hunny Bunnyby C.C. Designs. I swear, Christine's characters get cuter every month! I colored the bunny with Copics and added highlights with an Inkssentials white gel pen. Then I cut him out and mounted him on the embossed oval with dimensionals.

There is a lot of dry embossing here: the pink background, the white oval, and the scalloped oval. Even the Prima flower is embossed (it comes that way -- *love* those Obsession flowers)!

Wanna play along with the challenge? Use keyword ATSDTC39 when uploading. Be sure to upload to the ATS Challenge Gallery so we can see it! Remember, Christine and Amy are always looking for the next ATS Guest Designer -- it could be YOU! :)

Wednesday, March 4, 2009

Hey there! Welcome to my stop on the MFT March Blog Hop! If you haven't been to all the stops so far, go to Kim's Blog and start from there! These new sets are so much fun -- you don't want to miss anything! :)

I used the set Tea with Flopsey to make my project. I wanted to make a tea bag holder, so I created a large "tea bag" as my shape. I started with a 11" x 4.25" half-sheet of cardstock, and I scored it at 5", 5.5" and 6". I folded the center score line up and the others down to create a "W" in the middle.

I stamped the image and colored it with Copics. I stamped leaves in SU! Mellow Moss ink and popped some additional leaves on rolled up glue dots. I trimmed the corners with a tag corner punch, and I placed the tea bag and sentiment inside. The ribbon is tied through eyelets to hold the project closed.

My Favorite Things is having a new release Cocktail Party TONIGHT on the MFT Member Company Forum at Splitcoaststampers. Join us at 9pm EST for a quick chat before the sets go live at 10pm EST! This month there are 5 new sets being released! Stop by the release party to win prizes, see some MFTeasers of the new sets and find out how you can become MFT’s next Guest Designer! Hope to see you there!

I hope you enjoyed my stop! Now head over to see what the wonderful Michele Boyer has to show you! It's sure to be a feast for the eyes! :)

Tuesday, March 3, 2009

Happy Tuesday! I'm back with another MFTeaser for you! This month's Who's That Girl set is called Hangin' with My Peeps. The little chicks are so cute, and there are some great sentiments to go with them!

I colored the image with Copics, and I paper pieced her jacket and shoes with this fun Girl Friday paper by Cosmo Cricket.

I recently heard some good news about some good friends, so this card will be going to them! :)

My Favorite Things is having a New Release Cocktail Party on Wednesday, March 4th from 9-10 PM EASTERN. This month there are 5 new sets being released including a Who's that Girl who is hanging with her peeps! Head over to the MFT forum on Splitcoaststampers to find out all the details and to find out how YOU can be the next MFT Guest Designer. We hope to see you there tomorrow night!

Monday, March 2, 2009

Good Monday Morning! I have some MFT fun to share with you today! First is a MFTeaser of a new set being released Wednesday! The set is called Nite Nite Ellie, and $2 from each set sold for the first six months will be donated to St. Jude Children's Hospital.

I colored Ellie's face and hair with Copics and paper pieced the rest with dp. I lightly distressed the edges of the Top Note layers.

This next card is for today's Who's That Girl Challenge -- use the set Digital Girl and incorporate some stitching (real or faux). I used BasicGrey Offbeat paper, which coordinates beautifully with Chocolate Chip and Baja Breeze. I stitched along the sides of the brown paper panel, and I also stitched down the middle of the ribbon after I pleated it.

There is so much fun happening over at the MFT Forum on SCS -- you don't want to miss any of it! There are Challenges, Tips & Tricks with the new sets, and a MFT Stamping Idol contest, just to name a few things!

My Favorite Things is having a New Release Cocktail Party on Wednesday, March 4th from 9-10 PM EASTERN. This month there are 5 new sets being released including a Who's that Girl who is hanging with her peeps! Head over to the MFT forum on Splitcoaststampers to find out all the details and to find out how YOU can be the next MFT Guest Designer. We hope to see you there on Wednesday night!

Also, don't forget about the release tonight at All That Scraps! We'll be chatting on the Message Board before the sets go live at 10 pm EST. See you then!

Sunday, March 1, 2009

Hello there! Happy Sunday, and Happy March! Even though it's March 1, and spring is around the corner, it is still COLD here! I'm in the mood for something hot and comforting, so for today's Sunday Supper recipe I'm sharing my chili recipe. It's what we're having for supper tonight!

There are so many chili recipes out there, and I enjoy trying new ones. When Chris and I were first married, I wanted to combine some of the elements of our mothers' chili recipes and come up with one of my own. Around here we often eat chili over spaghetti noodles "Cincinnati style," but sometimes I just like it in a bowl all by itself! This one is very think and meaty, but you could easily add water to make it more "soupy."